Behavior change, health, and health disparities 2019: Opioids, tobacco, and treatment adherence.

Abstract

This Special Issue of Preventive Medicine (PM) is the 6th in a series on behavior change, health, and health disparities. This is a topic of critical importance to improving U.S. population health. There is broad consensus that personal behavior patterns or lifestyle such as substance abuse, physical inactivity/obesity, and non-adherence with medical regimens are among the most important modifiable causes of chronic disease, premature death and population health. Hence, effectively promoting health-related behavior change needs to be a key component of health care research and policy. In this issue we devote the majority of space (14 of 20 reports) to the U.S. opioid epidemic, especially the ongoing but still woefully inadequate efforts to build the necessary clinical infrastructure in rural communities to effectively address the epidemic. The remaining six reports focus on addressing the substantive challenges that tobacco use and non-adherence with medical regimens represent in these same communities. While giving the opioid epidemic the attention that it well deserves, we cannot afford to do so at the expense of these other longstanding and also devastating public health problems. Across each of these topics we include contributions from well-regarded investigators, clinicians, and policymakers to acquaint readers with recent accomplishments while also noting knowledge gaps and unmet challenges.